Student and Alumni Teams Compete to Move Technology From Lab to Market

October 5, 2026 - 09:06

Two of the ventures featured in the latest pitch competition were founded by students and recent alums, highlighting a growing push to turn campus research into products people can actually use.

The event brought together teams from across the university, mixing undergraduate and graduate students with faculty researchers and graduates who have already left campus. Each group presented a technology or business concept and made the case for why it deserved funding and support.

Judges evaluated the pitches on technical feasibility, market potential and the strength of the team behind each idea. Several projects grew out of years of laboratory work that had never moved beyond academic papers. Others came from students who spotted a problem in their own lives and built a rough solution before bringing it to the competition.

Organizers said the goal is not just prize money. Teams also receive mentoring, feedback from investors and help navigating the difficult step between a working prototype and a real company. That gap, often called the valley of death, is where many promising technologies stall.

Faculty involved said the competition gives researchers a reason to think about customers early, not as an afterthought. Students said the experience forced them to explain their work in plain language, a skill that matters as much as the science itself.

The event ended with awards for the strongest pitches, but participants said the connections made during the process may prove more valuable than any single prize.